Could be any number of reasons and there's no telling if the V1 would have made a difference or not without knowing why you didn't get an alert. Could be that your RD is out of tune, could be the batteries, could have been laser, could have been instant on (not the same as POP), etc etc. It could have just been a very well designed speed trap. Properly thought out, they can be extremely difficult to counter.

The first suggestion I'd make is switching to a hardwired RD. You don't have to go with the V1. Do some research. Like most things in life, there's no universal best despite what the fanboys claim and it's a matter of finding what suits you best. Make use of the 30 day return period offered by VR and Escort if needed to try other RD's. Escort definitely has some good offerings. Try spending some time at sites like radardetectors.net. Don't rely solely on a couple of posts here.

False sense of security isn't the RD's fault. It's the operator's fault. You still have to be aware of what's going on around you no matter how many countermeasures you have.

It's a selling/marketing feature and that's about it. It's useful for letting you know that you're getting a laser ticket. With the V1, it's very good at letting you know that there's an Infiniti with laser cruise control nearby. Or that there's red neon nearby. Or that you're behind a stopped/stopping Chevy Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, Olds Bravada, Buick Rainier, etc.

If laser is used in your area then get proper laser countermeasures. I've had a few saves with the V1 from laser scatter (before the Laser Interceptor was installed) but it's nothing you can count on. If you do get one, learn to use it properly -- though that should apply to the RD as well.

 

Thanks takeshi - sounds like good advice.

Great comments everyone, thanks a lot.

 

Cops use lots of things besides radar and laser. More than likely, if you haven't had problems with your Passport before, they were using some kind of non transmitting device.

Last time I got pulled over, the cop was using Vascar (aka a glorified stop watch and distance measurer). On a back road I'm not too sure if the same system got you, but I'm betting it was something similar where they started a unit when you crossed a point, turned it off when you crossed another, and it give them your speed.

 

Yep, this got me once too and the officer politely told me thats why my radar detector didn't pick him up. VASCAR is what he called it.

Then my speeding ticket had the words 'with intent' written on it because of the radar detector in my posession. Got a lawyer, it all went away.

Moral of the story...no more radar detector. Plus I was going to Virgina a lot where they are illegal.

 

The worse part of all of this was that I wasn't even having a good time (road was too straight and boring), just not thinking about speed.

 

OK OK....HERES WHY U WERE CAUGHT, EVEN WITH A RADAR. I'M A MILITARY COP: When I radar for speeders on base, I hit a lock button that keeps the radar from beeping out its signal, so if i don't have a signal searching your radar won't pick it up, so when i see a car, i undo the lock button which detects your car very quick, wayyy quicker then your radar detecting my beam, so BOOM, i got you before you know it . Advice...no speeding. Top down enjoy the cruise

 

Sounds like POP radar to me, could you compare and contrast the two? Radar has a frequency that a detector would pick up, I dont understand how a radar beam would be invisible unless it didnt exist. Now with the instant on POP radars, they are tricky because you dont see them on the detector usually until its too late, sort of like lazer.

http://www.radarbusters.com/popradartestarticle.cfm

 

sounds like POP to me....most newer detectors have POP detection.

 

that sucks dude, i've only ever gotten one speeding ticket in 16 years of driving. Never with my 1984 cavalier, my 1995 discovery or my 2004 sentra, only with the S2000(bad car-it's not the driver, it's the car).

 

I got an Escort 8500 x50 and have been pulled over only from my own inexperience or dumb luck on the cops part.

(IE: Laser must have bounced off something, I got hit, slowed down for 5 miles, cop passes going the other way and I got nailed.)
(IE: Went over a hill and Got Lasered directly.)

HOWEVER..It is possible to get hit with a Laser and it not register. I went around a bend going 90 (Immature bla bla bla I know) and was the only car. It hit, I slammed on brakes, and I didnt get stopped.

Lately though I've seen a lot of cops on the side of the road and mine hasn't made a sound. I've been speeding all those times too, So maybe they were just "there" to be there and slow down traffic.

Back to topic on hand.... It could need some maintenance. The antennae could go out, or maybe some other piece going bad. Whenever you send it in they also put their latest programming on there.